Many of us take on responsibilities because they provide us prestige or recognition. If you have time constraints, consider dropping a few of these.

Jeff Haden writes over at LinkedIn that dropping these "ego commitments" is an easy way to increase your productivity:

We all do things that have more to do with ego than results. Maybe you serve on a committee because you like how it looks on your CV. Maybe you teach at a local college because you like the words "adjunct professor."

(Or maybe, like me, you write a weekly column for your local newspaper mostly because you like when people recognize you at the grocery store.)

The things you do mostly for ego are, well, mostly a waste of time. Think about something you do mainly because it makes you look important, smart, or cool. If it provides no other "value," drop it.

Anything you do that serves the greater glory of you is a waste of time; besides, the best glory is always reflected, not projected.